Case piece



April 21, 1964 J. H. HILL 3,129,987

CASE PIECE Filed March 9, 1962 lNvgNToR zhMSMIV/Yl BY v v- ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,129,987 ASE PIECE James Hardin Hill, Roanoke, 7a., assignor to Johnson- Carper Furniture Company, inc, Roanoke, Va, a corporation of Virgin a Mar. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 178,69? 2 (Iiaims. (6i. 3122)4) This invention relates generally to providing for an attractive appearance to case pieces. More particularly, the present invention relates to case pieces which include a changeable decorative panel which may be colored or otherwise artistically decorated in the front of the case piece.

It has been determined from experience that the consumer often changes the color motif in a room by providing various color combinations and designs throughout the room. As presently designed, furniture such as case pieces do not normally form an integral part of any particular color, motif or artistic color arrangement for the reason that case pieces are normally of one particular color. Even in the event that the case pieces are colored or covered with some artistic design, the consumer is limited to this particular design since such designs have not been made easily variable and changeable in the event a new color combination is desired for the room.

Accordingly, it is one of the principal objectives of the present invention to provide a changeable decorative panel for a case piece.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a changeable decorative panel which is easily removed at the will of the consumer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a changeable decorative panel which gives the appearance of being integral with the case piece and yet may be simply and easily removed.

This invention has, as a further object, provision of grooved retaining means for holding a changeable decorative panel set back from the front of the case piece.

Another object of the present invention is to provide ready access to the decorative panel from both the interior and exterior of the case piece thereby permitting the changing of the decorative panel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective partially broken away view of a case piece incorporating the changeable decorative panel according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross section view on an enlarged scale taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing the position of the decorative panel in relation to the cross rail and also showing the easy access to the decorative panel for removal of the panel, particularly as shown by the phantom lines.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing the front elevation view of the decorative panel positioned in the grooves on a cross rail.

Briefly, the present invention relates to case pieces and provides a changeable decorative panel which is positioned in a cross rail across the front of the case piec and, further, is set back from the edge of the front of the case piece to provide an integral appearing decorative panel. The grooves holding the decorative panel are closed by the outside panels which may be the top, bottom or sides of the case piece to therefore further accentuate the integral appearance of the decorative panel and the case piece. An opening is provided in the cross rail to permit the decorative panel to be easily removed and changed when desired.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 10 denotes the 3,129,987 Patented Apr. 21, 1964 case piece embodying the unique decorative panel 12. The case piece is formed in a conventional manner with a top outside panel 14, a bottom outside panel 16, side outside panels 18, and a rear outside panel not shown. The case piece may be optionally supported by a plurality of legs 20 if desired.

The side, top and bottom outside panels define a front and a front edge 22 of the case piece as best shown in FIGURE 2. Cross rails generally denoted at 24 are provided across the front of the case piece and are set back from the front edge 22 of the case piece. These cross rails are conventionally secured to the outside panels in any of the commonly used procedures. While the cross rails 24 are shown to be horizontal across the front of the case piece, it is to be understood that such cross rails could be vertical and extend from the top outside panel 14 to the bottom outside panel 16 since the spirit of this invention includes both horizontally and vertically disposed decorative panel d2.

In the form of the invention which depicts the cross rails as being horizontal, the cross rails preferably are secured to drawer slides 26 adjacent each side panel 18 in a conventional manner. These drawer slides extend rearwardly of the case piece and may be secured to the rear panel again in a conventional manner. These drawer slides are designed to provide support for slidably receiving the drawers 28 which includes the conventional interior panel 39. The usual stop means, not shown, can be secured to the rear of the interior panel 39 for sliding contact with the slide 25.

The cross rail 24 includes upper and lower retaining means or grooves 32 and 34 respectively. Each of these grooves is provided with a bottom 36 and 3% respectively, and a lip portion 49 and 4-2. The cross rail 24 may be integral or, as shown, may be formed from two parts such as the upper portion 44 which receives the drawer slide 26 and the lower portion 46 which forms a backing means on its forward face 48 for supporting the decorative panel 1 in its proper position. As shown, the grooves 32. and 34 are mutually facing and vertically disposed in order to receive the decorative panel. Moreover, it is to be noted that the grooves are positioned rearwardly from the front edge 22 and that the backing means 48 is coplanar with the rearwardmost edge of the grooves 32 and 34 as at 59 and 52.

One of the important features of applic-ants invention includes the concept that the decorative panel 12 appears to be integral with the case piece. This is accomplished by providing the side panels 13 in the case of horizontal cross rails or the top and bottom panels 14- and 16 as closing the extremities of the grooves 32 and 34 as best shown in FEGURES l and 2. Because of the closing or obstruction at the ends of the grooves by the outside panels, the decorative panel 12 can only be removed or changed from the front of the case piece. To permit the easy removal of the decorative panel, at least one opening, as shown at 54, is preferably centrally positioned through the cross rail and backing means, thus upon opening the lower drawer it is possible to reach beneath the cross rail and up through the rear of the cross rail through the opening 54 to contact the back portion of the decorative panel. Thus, the decorative panel can be raised upwardly into groove 32 and tilted as shown by the phantom lines in FIGURE 2, for removal. To permit this removal and yet provide for the proper positioning of the decorative panel, the groove 32 is of greater depth than groove 34 and includes a lip portion 40 of greater extent than lip portion 42. In order to accomplish removal of the decorative panel, the free space a above the top edge of the panel 12 and the bottom 36 of the groove 32 must be greater than the vertical extent of the lip 42.

It can be seen that the same construction would be present if the cross rails were positioned vertically across the front of the case piece and it would be obvious to one skilled in the art to construct the case piece within the concept of this invention to provide for vertically disposed cross rails.

It should be obvious that the foregoing construction, as described, will provide a simply constructed and extremely effective means for changing the decorative panel in order that any color or type of panel may be used. It is, of course, possible to use a panel of wood or metal or plastic, such as Formica, polystyrene and the like, which may be of solid colors or artistically decorated. It should be obvious that the same panel shall have definitely designed front or rear in order that it may be possible to merely reverse the panel to achieve the change in color motif.

It is also significant that the construction, according to the present invention, provides an integrally appearing decorative panel which is supported in grooves that are closed .at their extremities so that the panel can not be removed by sliding the panel outwardly. Such a construction would be completely opposite to the purpose of the present invention.

From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations, and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention, be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A case piece comprising a top, bottom and side and rear outside panels forming an open front, a cross secured to said side outside panels of said case piece and extending across said front, drawer slides secured to the interior of said side outside panels, said cross rail being connected to said drawer slides, drawers slidably positioned on said slides, said cross rail being provided with a plurality of mutually facing vertically disposed grooves for receiving and supporting a decorative panel,

said grooves being displaced rearwardly from the edge 7 of said front and being closed by said outside panels, each said groove having a base and lip portion, the lip portion of one groove being of greater extent than the lip portion of the other groove, backing means adjacent and rearwardly disposed to said grooves and integral with said cross rail, at least one opening in said backing means and through said cross rail to provide communication between the interior and exterior of the case piece, and a decorative panel supported by said backing means, access to said decorative panel from the interior of said case piece being through said opening.

2. A case piece comprising a top, bottom and side and rear outside panels forming an open front, a cross rail secured to said case piece and extending across said front,

said cross rail being provided with a groove for receiving .7

and supporting .a decorative panel, said groove being displaced rearwardly from the edge of said front and being closed by said outside panels, backing means adjacent to said groove and integral with said cross rail, at least one opening in said backing means and through said cross rail to provide communication between the interior and exterior of the case piece, a decorative panel provided in said groove and supported by said backing means, access to said decorative panel from the interior of said case piece being through said opening, drawer slides secured to the interior of said side outside panels, and said cross rail being connected to said drawer slides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,930,721 Marsellus Oct. 17, 1933 2,463,238 Bissell Mar. 1, 1949 2,842,420 Hansen July 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 871,898 Great Britain July 5, 1961 

1. A CASE PIECE COMPRISING A TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE AND REAR OUTSIDE PANELS FORMING AN OPEN FRONT, A CROSS RAIL SECURED TO SAID SIDE OUTSIDE PANELS OF SAID CASE PIECE AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAID FRONT, DRAWER SLIDES SECURED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID SIDE OUTSIDE PANELS, SAID CROSS RAIL BEING CONNECTED TO SAID DRAWER SLIDES, DRAWERS SLIDABLY POSITIONED ON SAID SLIDES, SAID CROSS RAIL BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY FACING VERTICALLY DISPOSED GROOVES FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING A DECORATIVE PANEL, SAID GROOVES BEING DISPLACED REARWARDLY FROM THE EDGE OF SAID FRONT AND BEING CLOSED BY SAID OUTSIDE PANELS, EACH SAID GROOVE HAVING A BASE AND LIP PORTION, THE LIP PORTION OF ONE GROOVE BEING OF GREATER EXTENT THAN THE LIP PORTION OF THE OTHER GROOVE, BACKING MEANS ADJACENT AND REARWARDLY DISPOSED TO SAID GROOVES AND INTEGRAL WITH SAID CROSS RAIL, AT LEAST ONE OPENING IN SAID BACKING MEANS AND THROUGH SAID CROSS RAIL TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF THE CASE PIECE, AND A DECORATIVE PANEL SUPPORTED BY SAID BACKING MEANS, ACCESS TO SAID DECORATIVE PANEL FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID CASE PIECE BEING THROUGH SAID OPENING. 